Boomtown Was Strange

I thought I'd be dancing or spinning fire or watching amazing people at the Boomtown event tonight. I got there Thursday right before sunset. There was confusion as to where I was allowed to camp. The office pointed me to a spot.  A nice big flat area in the soft sand, big enough for about 25 tents.  So we unpack half the truck when a woman gets out of a camper and tells me ever so politely that the entire flat area is reserved for her private Burning Man Reunion pot party and I'd have to camp somewhere else. My boyfriend, who was just  dropping me off helped me to reload the truck.  I told her no problem, I'll camp on the flat spot a bit higher. "Oh you really shouldn't," she says. "That area is reserved for my friends in RV's." Flustered I told her, "the office staff said this is the quiet camp."

So back to the office I go, where they are having a meeting that can't be disturbed. Another man tells me exactly where to camp next to an old dead generator.  So we get the tent up, and we just start to put the pop-up in front of my tent door, when here comes miss 'Burning Man Reunion' again. I get the whole spiel again. So I said, "Are you staff? Staff told me to set up right here."  She kind of muttered and wandered off.

But I tried to overcome it, really I did. By the time I set up camp, it was getting pretty chilly. Much colder than I expected it since I only live about 20 miles from there. At that point I realized I brought no warm regular clothing. Oh well, my giant top hat is the warmest thing I have so I put my big hat on, and my long sleeved Steampunk shrug, because I didn't bring so much as a sweater. It seems okay though, because some people were in costume, or half in costume.

So up the hill I go and most of the exhibits are ready to go. The event opens Friday afternoon.

Eventually I head to bed. Though it is almost midnight, and I'm way down the hill, the amplified music is still too loud to sleep through. So I read for awhile, and finally decide to go to sleep. I keep waking up, having strange dreams about people stealing my tent and my canopy.  Whenever a song with loud drums comes on I wake up. I remember the website mentioning the music went to 3 AM each night. So I wrap myself even tighter in my blankets and sleeping bags, and resign myself to sleep after 3 AM.  At 4:44 AM I wake up to pounding music and roosters crowing. Talk about disorienting!

I get up a few more times, and by about 8 AM I give up on sleeping and start to organize my costumes, food, and props. Then I remember I was invited to tea by a vendor, so I decided to unpack later and go visiting.

She kept talking to her friends about how she wasn't looking forward to packing up her booth that was 2 pop-ups wide. I kept wondering why she was worried now, when it was only Friday and the event went until Monday. Let's just say I'm not a morning person.  I asked her what time the public was coming in and she looked at me funny and said, "They aren't. We are shut down."

So I say, "You mean the power is out? Surely they can fix the generators?"  It's then that the whole scene sinks in. The crew is taking down the lights, not putting them up.  The big circus tent saloon thing is less put together than the night before. The ice man is leaving.  Suddenly the light dawns.  Ohhhh, we are not going to open at all. Big sadness. Shock. Disappointment.

Seems some inspector decided they didn't have the right permits after all. Someone got a bee in their bonnet and got the event shut down. Most of the staff found out via Facebook. No officials came around to tell me anything.  Luckily my boyfriend was home when I called him at 9:30 AM. He came and got me.

So yeah, that's my Memorial Day weekend and my first real Steampunk event up in flames.
So in hindsite, I'm glad I wore my costume on Thursday night. It was the only chance I got to wear it at all.

The poor couple camped next to me had worked on Thursday in the San Fernando Valley, then they drove to the event, dropped off their camper to secure a good spot, drove back home to work on Friday. And now they still have to drive in awful Memorial 'get out of LA' traffic all the way back to Apple Valley, CA to get their camper and drag it home. So yeah, I had it easy, I lived close by. I didn't spend a year planning the event or a week setting up an elaborate outdoor show. Such a shame.

Yay I Am Going to Boomtown

I took a leap of faith and volunteered at a local event.  When they said yes, I got so excited. The event is this weekend. It will be madness getting ready, but it is the kind of madness I love. If I hadn't emailed the coordinator this wouldn't have happened. Sometimes we have to take a leap of faith to get to the abundance we seek. I realized that if I didn't send that email, telling them I was out here in the universe, the answer would have been no already. Then I told myself 100 reasons they might say no. Then they said YES!  So now I'm going to my first Steampunk event ever. I'm going to Boomtown! I will be working three five hour shifts, and they haven't told me what I'd be doing yet. I put in for parking attendant and keeping their green exhibit on the green side out here in the desert, but I'm checking in at the box office, so I wonder if I'm working gate. We'll see! 

Boomtown is in Apple Valley, CA.

Tutorial Lady's Steampunk Coat

I'm right in the middle of moving, but I definitely want to make a steampunk jacket after I saw a woman in Downtown Disney yesterday with a top hat with metal Mickey Mouse ears. OMG I am in love with her outfit.  She looked amazing. Of all the times for my camera batteries to die.  I tried to find her on Bing and Google and no luck so far, but it seems there's a steampunk group that hangs out at Downtown Disney.  Just my luck I'd find them now right when I'm moving 200 miles away from Anaheim.

The Steampunk Archer

Recently I got some leather to make a quiver. I want to be a Steampunk archer so I'm making the whole kit. I want to emboss some sort of design on the leather but I haven't figured out what yet. I'm still researching steampunk and what it is and what it isn't.

So I need to make an outfit, and a quiver, and arrows, and a bow. Big project.

Just Can't Connect

I've been trying to meet people over on the Steampunk Empire. So far not much luck. I like one guy named Jack, but he hasn't been on much and when I bumped into him today he wss on the phone and I never did get to say more than hello to him. I keep meaning to look up Steampunk on Meetup.com, so I can get on with meeting some real life people and doing Steampunk stuff, but I can't remember my password. I guess I'll be all alone in my pursuits for a while more, maybe forever.

One person in the Steampunk chat seemed interested in my art, but when I pointed her to my Etsy shop, she stopped talking to me all together. I don't know if she'd judged me and found me wanting, or was so busy mulititasking I no longer held her attention. But when someone else came in the chatroom and said hello to her she started talking to them, ignoring my last five attempts at having an art conversation.
I think it's fair to say the people I've met there so far are on the snobby side. I'm about to give up on the place.

The Steampunk Empire

Maybe I'll learn more about Steampunk now that I've joined http://www.thesteampunkempire.com/. Look for me under the name Theodora Sterling.

I'm designing some Steampunk belly dancing attire right now. I hope to share the how-to's in a tutorial when I have time. October sure has been busy.

Cool Steampunk Gadgets on ODDEE

http://www.oddee.com/item_96830.aspx

I wish I could make cool stuff like this.

A Bit of Inspiration

Some Neovictorian inspiration and a few examples of Steampunk belly dance costuming to tickle your fancy. And finally a use for rayon fringe and pill box hats.

Steampunk Fashion Show

I am loving this fashion show I found on youtube. If you can't glean any costumes from this you must not be breathing.

Artfire Fires Back

I heard back via Artfire and they justified their actions by saying, "Since you hadn't posted anything, we freed up your name (which they kept for themselves to use)." I think they are just rationalizing their actions but I would suggest that if any of you do have an Artfire store you list at least 1 item or make a biography or something. I think since they really wanted the name they would have taken it anyway. But I made it ever so easy for them since I hadn't added listings yet. I was going to have a grand opening and list 10 things at once and I haven't finished them all yet. They saw my store sitting empty and snaked it out from under me. Not sure I will stay with Artfire after this. If I can't trust them with an issue of integrity not involving money, how can I trust them with money?

Steampunk Chatroom

There is always someone in Etsy chat willing to talk about Steampunk with me. There are jewelry designers, clock makers, lamp engineers and costume mavericks. I'm trying to get a regular Steampunk chatroom going but I can't be online all the time so others will have to open it when I'm not around. Let's face it, most people go to the Etsy chatroom hoping to make a sale, so we all gravitate to the one or 2 rooms that are stuffed to the rafters. But often those rooms are not really on a topic we are into. So if we stick together we can make our own always open steampunk chatroom. Know what I mean? So if you ever see me in Etsy chat flag me down and we'll go make our own room. Rock on.

Beaded Spiders

I've been making beaded spiders which I will definitely incorporate into my steampunk fashions. Amazing what you can do with a little wire and some beads. I gave my boyfriend the first one I made. It now lives on top of his computer monitor.
Here's some of the other ones.

Steampunk Coat Designer

Loving this Steampunk jacket my friend made. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18772290 Or course it doesn't hurt that she chose a gorgeous guy to model it. Rawr!!! She makes such fabulous stuff. Most of it isn't in her Etsy shop because she takes it to things like the Pasadena Designer Fair and pagan fests. Some of her coats I like more than others, but I've never not liked any of them.

Leather and Chains

http://zenchantress.today.com/2008/12/31/steampunk-on-a-shoestring/

That link is to a blurb I wrote about DIY steampunk costuming. But I couldn't get the photos to post to my blog for some reason so I'll put them here instead.

I Signed Up For Artfire

I just opened an Artfire store called Steampunk. So now I need to make jewelry and other items to list in it. I thought I'd better snap up that name while it was still available. Register on ArtFire.com If you use my referral link I might even get my account for free.

I also have another shop there called Hypnotic Treasures. But I will probably put things in my other shop first.

Making a costume

I found these great patterns at Joanne's from Butterick and I can't wait to make my Steampunk costume. I talked about it more here:
http://zenchantress.today.com/2008/12/25/steampunk-costuming/

Butterick Patterns for Sewing

To my delight Joanne's had their Butterick Patterns on sale for $1.99 limit 10 and I actually got 9 because the other one I wanted was out of the size I needed. Seven of them will work for Steampunk as they are turn of the century looks. The other is a robe of sorts which will be perfect for belly dancing because it looks quite a lot like a sleeveless turkish coat. It's not quite right but it's close enough for my needs. I'll take photos tomorrow. Shopping has me worn to the bone tonight. The maniac bagger at the grocery store put 5 2L soda bottles in one bag and I couldn't even lift it, much less carry it in. My back hurts so all I want to do for the rest of the night is park somewhere.

Steampunk supplies

Today and this weekend is the Gem Faire at the OC Fairgrounds and I'm hoping to find some steampunk components for jewelry and costuming. I'm sure other artists will be looking for the same thing. I normally go on Friday to get first dibs and to get in free and get free passes for the weekend. But my boyfriend wants to go to so we are going tomorrow instead and paying the gate fee to get in.

I think I should also be making regular visits to new Goodwill across the street and the Salvation Army down the street for things like vintage jewelry and chains and old vests and lace.

First Post

I've been smitten and bitten by the Neovictorian Steampunk bug. I've fallen in love with the band Abney Park, and I've always loved Jules Verne, the Time Machine, the Wild Wild West and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I love the elements and the freedom of combining the past and the future, science and sci-fi. I'm hardly an expert on it. I'm exploring it along with everyone else. Even though the elements of Steampunk have been around since the beginning of television, it's only recently become labeled in a way that we could wrap our minds around it. And I can't get enough of it.